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Process operator salary
Average process operator salary
$37,996
Understanding Process Operator Salaries
The role of a Process Operator is vital in industries such as manufacturing, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $37,996 per year. Factors influencing salary include state, experience level, and specific industry demands. For instance, states like Texas and Pennsylvania often offer higher salaries due to increased industry presence.
Experience Levels Matter
Entry-level positions typically start lower, but experienced operators can earn significantly more, especially in specialized sectors. For those seeking advancement, pursuing certifications or additional training can lead to better-paying roles.
Job Opportunities
Job openings for Process Operators are available across various platforms, and Zippia offers tools to assist in finding the right fit. By understanding salary ranges and market trends, you can make informed decisions about your career path.
Conclusion
Whether you are starting your career or looking to advance, the role of a Process Operator offers diverse opportunities to grow and earn.
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Where can a Process Operator earn more?
Process operator salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level process operator | $37,500 | $18.01 |
| Mid-level process operator | $47,400 | $22.78 |
| Senior-level process operator | $48,000 | $23.08 |
Process operator salary estimates from across the web
Average process operator salary by state
The average process operator salary in Wyoming, North Dakota, and New Hampshire are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average process operator salary states are Tennessee, North Carolina, and New Mexico.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for process operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $46,257 | $22.24 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $44,020 | $21.16 |
| 3 | Kansas | $44,727 | $21.50 |
| 4 | Delaware | $44,823 | $21.55 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $49,170 | $23.64 |
| 6 | Indiana | $41,982 | $20.18 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $55,850 | $26.85 |
| 8 | Idaho | $42,703 | $20.53 |
| 9 | Illinois | $43,583 | $20.95 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $41,067 | $19.74 |
| 11 | Iowa | $40,487 | $19.46 |
| 12 | Montana | $45,373 | $21.81 |
| 13 | Maine | $45,231 | $21.75 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $40,608 | $19.52 |
| 15 | Missouri | $41,585 | $19.99 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $43,769 | $21.04 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $40,302 | $19.38 |
| 18 | Alaska | $40,718 | $19.58 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $43,377 | $20.85 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $43,974 | $21.14 |
| 21 | Michigan | $38,433 | $18.48 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $38,615 | $18.56 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $41,779 | $20.09 |
| 24 | New York | $41,668 | $20.03 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $40,219 | $19.34 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $37,952 | $18.25 |
| 27 | Utah | $37,394 | $17.98 |
| 28 | Oregon | $39,720 | $19.10 |
| 29 | Alabama | $37,850 | $18.20 |
| 30 | Washington | $40,782 | $19.61 |
| 31 | Colorado | $40,424 | $19.43 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $37,262 | $17.91 |
| 33 | Ohio | $35,558 | $17.10 |
| 34 | Connecticut | $39,345 | $18.92 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $36,936 | $17.76 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $37,495 | $18.03 |
| 37 | California | $38,224 | $18.38 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $36,419 | $17.51 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $33,957 | $16.33 |
| 40 | Texas | $36,551 | $17.57 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $34,379 | $16.53 |
| 42 | Arizona | $36,065 | $17.34 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $34,802 | $16.73 |
| 44 | Vermont | $35,081 | $16.87 |
| 45 | Virginia | $35,873 | $17.25 |
| 46 | Georgia | $36,025 | $17.32 |
| 47 | Maryland | $35,191 | $16.92 |
| 48 | Nevada | $32,374 | $15.56 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $33,909 | $16.30 |
| 50 | Florida | $32,566 | $15.66 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $32,510 | $15.63 |
Highest paying cities for process operators
The highest-paying cities for process operators are Grand Forks, ND, Portland, ME, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Forks, ND | $49,504 | $23.80 |
| 2 | Portland, ME | $45,449 | $21.85 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $43,969 | $21.14 |
| 4 | Madison, WI | $43,874 | $21.09 |
| 5 | Albany, NY | $42,613 | $20.49 |
| 6 | Minneapolis, MN | $41,792 | $20.09 |
| 7 | Indianapolis, IN | $41,719 | $20.06 |
| 8 | Saint Louis, MO | $41,476 | $19.94 |
| 9 | Bothell, WA | $40,846 | $19.64 |
| 10 | Omaha, NE | $40,655 | $19.55 |
| 11 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $40,644 | $19.54 |
| 12 | Denver, CO | $40,459 | $19.45 |
| 13 | Portland, OR | $39,780 | $19.13 |
| 14 | Midland, MI | $39,009 | $18.75 |
| 15 | Rogers, AR | $38,347 | $18.44 |
| 16 | Salt Lake City, UT | $37,470 | $18.01 |
| 17 | Fort Worth, TX | $36,444 | $17.52 |
| 18 | Cleveland, OH | $36,357 | $17.48 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $36,184 | $17.40 |
| 20 | Goodyear, AZ | $36,070 | $17.34 |
Process operator salary details
A process operator's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $48,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a process operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
| 75th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| Average | $37,996 | $3,166 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
Highest paying process operator jobs
The highest paying types of process operators are lead operator, process leader, and product coordinator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing Operator | $34,457 | $2,871 | $16.57 | 97,656 |
| Utility Operator | $38,693 | $3,224 | $18.60 | 67,565 |
| Product Coordinator | $50,707 | $4,226 | $24.38 | 74,640 |
| Process Technician | $39,462 | $3,288 | $18.97 | 74,367 |
| Chemical Operator | $40,526 | $3,377 | $19.48 | 36,522 |
| Relief Operator | $42,693 | $3,558 | $20.53 | 64,469 |
Top companies hiring process operators now:
Which companies pay process operators the most?
Process operator salaries at BWX Technologies and Nestlé are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average process operator salary at companies like Lifeway Kefir and Dairy Farmers of America are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BWX Technologies | $48,345 | $23.24 |
| 2 | Nestlé | $47,258 | $22.72 |
| 3 | Lifeway Kefir | $45,852 | $22.04 |
| 4 | Dairy Farmers of America | $45,792 | $22.02 |
| 5 | fairlife | $45,587 | $21.92 |
| 6 | Wells Enterprises | $45,385 | $21.82 |
| 7 | Clean Harbors | $44,344 | $21.32 |
| 8 | J.R. Simplot | $44,190 | $21.25 |
| 9 | Land O'Lakes | $43,847 | $21.08 |
| 10 | Fidelity National Information Solutions | $43,714 | $21.02 |
| 11 | Eastman | $43,375 | $20.85 |
| 12 | Schreiber Foods | $43,347 | $20.84 |
| 13 | Leprino Foods | $43,305 | $20.82 |
| 14 | Ken's Foods | $43,252 | $20.79 |
| 15 | Bunge | $43,138 | $20.74 |
| 16 | Reckitt Benckiser | $43,055 | $20.70 |
| 17 | Westinghouse Appliances Australia | $43,054 | $20.70 |
| 18 | Xerox | $42,961 | $20.65 |
| 19 | Big River Resources | $42,848 | $20.60 |
| 20 | Mars | $42,848 | $20.60 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Process Operator salary by industry
The average process operator salary varies across industries:
- The average process operator salary in the manufacturing industry is $40,847, the highest of any industry.
- The average process operator salary in the finance industry is $40,368.
- Process operators in the technology industry earn an average salary of $37,827, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for process operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $40,847 | $19.64 |
| 2 | Energy | $40,368 | $19.41 |
| 3 | Pharmaceutical | $38,797 | $18.65 |
| 4 | Finance | $38,036 | $18.29 |
| 5 | Technology | $37,827 | $18.19 |
High paying process operator jobs
Process operator salary trends
The average process operator salary has risen by $5,549 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average process operator earned $32,447 annually, but today, they earn $37,996 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for process operators over the last decade.
Compare process operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average process operator salary over time
Compare process operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Process operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,000 | $18.27 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $37,100 | $17.82 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $36,500 | $17.56 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $35,600 | $17.11 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $34,900 | $16.79 | +2.5% |
Recently added process operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clorox | Processing Operator-Rotational Shifts | Aberdeen, MD | 06/30/2025 | $54,492 |
| Clorox | Technical Process Operator | Rogers, AR | 06/30/2025 | $47,166 |
| Tate & Lyle | Process Operator | Lafayette, IN | 06/30/2025 | $64,342 |
| Clean Harbors | Solvent Process Operator I | Dolton, IL | 06/29/2025 | $50,088 |
| Aerotek | Process Operator | Amboy, IN | 06/28/2025 | $41,740 |
| Puratos | Processing Operator-2Nd Shift | Pennsauken, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $51,841 |
| Novita Nutrition | Process Operator | Brookings, SD | 06/28/2025 | $62,610 |
| Bobbie Baby | Processing Operator (1ST Shift) | Heath, OH | 06/28/2025 | $50,088 |
| OC Oerlikon | Process Operator | Westbury, NY | 06/28/2025 | $41,740 |
| The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. | Processing Operator (Swing) | Boulder, CO | 06/27/2025 | $48,001 |
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